Date: 2 Nov 2002 14:38:47 -0000
From: knanaya@yahoogroups.com
View Contact Details
Add Mobile Alert To: knanaya@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [knanaya] Digest Number 67
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2002 16:25:15 -0000
From: "chazhikat" <chazhikat@yahoo.com>

Subject: Report of Meeting With Bishop Angadiyath by KCCNA Delegates and Our Priests October 31, 2002

Dear Knanaya brothers and sisters,

We are presenting the report of our long awaited meeting of KCCNA delegates and our priests in charge of Knanaya Missions with Bishop Mar Jacob Angadiath, Vicar General Msgr. George Madathiparambil, Chancellor Fr. Zecharias Thottuvelil, and procurator Fr. Antony Thundathil at Mar Thoma Sleha Cathedral Hall in Chicago on Tuesday October 29, 2002 at 10:30 A.M. All the nine priests in charge of Knanaya Catholic Missions in the U.S. and 20 KCCNA delegates participated in this historically important dialogue. In preparation for the dialogue, KCCNA representatives and our priests met at Edison Park Palace (restaurant) from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. on October 28 and from 8:00 A.M. to 9:15 A.M. on the 29th. Mr. Chacko Poovathumkal, Mr. Thomas Mulackal and Mr. John Akasala under the leadership of KCCNA president Mr. Cyriac Vettuparappuram were selected to lead the dialogue. Our priests met with Bishop Angadiath and his curia at cathedral hall at 10:00 A.M. on October 29th to present the concerns of the priests on Knanaya issues. KCCNA delegates joined them at 10:30 A.M. to begin the official dialogue.

The meeting started with a prayer led by Mar Jacob Angadiath. Then the participants introduced themselves. Our Vicar General Msgr. Abraham Mutholath welcomed all, introduced the importance and background of the dialogue and moderated the meeting. The delegates requested Bishop Angadiath to reveal his policies based on the petitions KCCNA had presented to him several times in the past. In his reply Bishop Angadiath presented his policies on the two important topics KCCNA has presented:

1. Membership in Knanaya Missions based on endogamy. Bishop Angadiath said that because he has instruction from Oriental Congregation against endogamous practice of our community in North America, he cannot allow strictly endogamous Knanaya missions. However, he is willing to establish Knanaya missions lead by Knanaya priests. If a Knanaya member wishes to marry from outside the community the family and priest can discourage it or advise the person to change his parish membership to a non-Knanaya mission. However, if he insists on keeping up his membership in Knanaya mission even when he marries from outside the community, he shall be allowed to keep up his membership in the Knanaya mission. Our priests and KCCNA delegates unanimously disagreed with this policy stating that it would eventually extinguish the existence of our community.

2. Personal jurisdiction and administrative independence for Knanaya Community within the diocese. Our priests and delegates requested the curia to allow personal
jurisdiction on all Knanaya Catholics in North America to our vicar general through our priests. What we wanted was that all Knanaya Catholics shall be allowed to have Knanaya Missions wherever we request. We also requested to have separate pastoral administrative structure for our missions to open up chances for the future development and coordination of our missions. Mar Jacob Angadiath agreed that we could have a separate forane or region when the diocese would establish such a setup later. However,
he disagreed on allowing personal jurisdiction and independent administrative structure for our missions. Our priests and delegates unanimously disagreed on this also. KCCNA president Mr. Cyriac Vettuparappuram concluded the session expressing the disappointment of the community on Bishop Angadiath's reply.
The delegates and priests again met at the restaurant at 1:30 P.M. to discuss on the results of the dialogue and to work out future plans.

The following were the decisions made and actions taken:
........................................................................................
.....................................................................................
ആ ഭാഗം അടുത്ത ദിവസം പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിക്കുന്നതാണ്...............
Yours sincerely,
Cyriac Vettuparappuram, President, KCCNA
Peter Chazhikat, Secretary, KCCNA. 


ചിക്കാഗോ കനാ
എന്നെന്നും ക്നാനായക്കാരോടൊപ്പം